Impact of natural elements in urban public spaces on mental health

Abstract

The subject of the paper is the analysis of the impact of natural elements in urban public spaces on the mental health of city residents. The problem that triggered the research is the fact that the majority of the world’s population now live in metropolitan areas and the link between well-being and healthy public spaces has never been more clear. The analysis began with the hypothesis that exposure to green/blue spaces positively affects stress, changing moods, mental health, and overall well-being. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the subjective feeling, experience, and understanding of space related to the impact of being and using green and blue spaces in urban areas. Research objectives are to assess the relationship between mental health and existing nature in urban spaces, and to determine the effect natural elements in urban public spaces could have on mental well-being of citizens as a reminder for future projects. The focus was on field research, collecting, analyzing, and evaluating information and evidence of the impact of natural elements on mental health, as well as, presenting them in a systematic way. The results of this research pointed out the importance of natural elements in urban environments for citizens and established the complex relations between urban nature and mental health. These findings should help inform future research and practice on the impact of natural elements in urban spaces on public health, as well as make a contribution to the field of mental health, urban design, landscape architecture, urban planning, and management.